Holiday Countdown: Egg from Blue Hill at Stone Barns!

Josh Lawler, chef de cuisine at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, shows me the secret of the deliciousness of the soft-cooked egg at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. So happy.

He uses heirloom shelling beans from Rancho Gordo.com, but feel free to substitue regular ol’ beans. Especially good for New Year’s Day would be black eyed peas, a symbol of luck and wealth in the south.

Recipe, after the jump.

Crusted Farm Egg with a Stew of Beans and Pancetta

There are a number of ways to make this dish easier for the home cook; just remember it won’t be as tasty! You can certainly buy pesto (though it won’t likely be arugula pesto) and you can use easy-to-find dried beans like Great Northern, pinto or black eyed peas. Or go for canned beans (though they won’t be as toothy). If you are going to tackle the whole dish, make the pesto first. It can rest, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. Then make the beans. They too, can be made ahead and gently reheated. Make the egg just before serving.

For the pesto

4 cornichons

2 tablespoons capers

3/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 soft cooked egg (about 5 to 6 minutes)

1 anchovy filet

2 cups arugula leaves, rough chopped

2 cups spinach leaves, rough chopped

1 cup chervil, rough chopped

1/2 cup tarragon leaves, rough chopped

1 cup grapeseed oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In the bowl of a blender, place cornichons, capers, mustard, egg, garlic and anchovy. With the motor running, add oil to form an emulsion. Add arugula, spinach, chervil and tarragon to the blender. Puree until everything is well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

A small bouquet of 2 sprigs thyme, 2 parsley stalk and 1 small bay leaf

3 cups chicken stock

3 cups water

Salt and pepper

Rinse beans and soak overnight in a generous amount of cold water. Drain beans and set aside.

Heat oil in a medium shallow pot over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, onion, fennel and pancetta and cook for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften and caramelize.

Add beans, bouquet, stock and water and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook uncovered until the beans are just tender. Remove from heat and transfer to a shallow dish or pan to cool in their cooking liquid. Remove vegetables and bouquet and discard. Dice the pancetta into a small dice and set aside.

For the egg

4 eggs plus 1 egg beaten

2 tablespoons ground toasted almonds

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons ground panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup flour

Oil for frying

Salt and pepper

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl with ice water. Carefully drop the 4 eggs into the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to retrieve them and immediately plunge into the ice water. Once the eggs have cooled, peel them and set them aside.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pan of vegetable, peanut or canola oil to 370 degrees over medium-high heat. Mix almonds, cheese and panko in small bowl. Place flour in another bowl and beaten egg in a third bowl.

Dip each egg first into the flour, then the egg, then the breading. Fry eggs for about 30 seconds, until light golden. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the dish

Cooked heirloom beans plus reserved diced pancetta

1 cup arugula pesto

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Transfer the cooked beans with about a cup of their cooking liquid to a medium sauce pot. Add the reserved pancetta dice. Heat gently over a medium flame.

Add about a cup of the pesto and stir to incorporate, making sure not to let the liquid boil.

Check seasoning and finished with chopped herbs.

Divide the beans among four bowls or plates and top with the whole crispy fried egg.

About Author

Liz Johnson is content strategist for The Journal News and lohud.com, and the founding editor of lohudfood, formerly know as Small Bites. As food editor, she won awards from the New York News Publishers Association, the Association of Food Journalists and the Associated Press. She lives in Nyack with her husband and daughter on a tiny suburban lot they call their farm — with fruit trees, an herb garden, and a yardful of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, shallots, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes, cabbage, peppers, Brussels sprouts and carrots and four big blueberry bushes.